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The Emperor of Mankind in Warhammer 40K sends his Astartes troops all over the universe to protect the Imperium of Man, and the terrain obviously gets pretty tough. When their time comes millennia hence, the Astartes will certainly know how to make use of the Torsus Praetorian bus to haul between ground bases and war zones. Until then, we get the pleasure of contemplating the Czech-designed and -built Praetorian, recent winner of a 2020 Red Dot Award for outstanding design — an accolade we normally read about going to cars like the Ferrari 488 GTB or European Honda Accord Tourer.
For reasons we aren’t clear on, Torsus decided the industrial shuttle needed a makeover, pairing with Czech design firm Werkemotion to put a new body on a heavy duty Man TGM truck chassis. The company calls this “the world’s first heavy duty 4×4 off-road bus,” but we should clarify that to mean the first ground-up, purpose-built 4×4 bus as opposed to the ex-military conversions that have served in some corners for many decades.
The rock-solid guts under the yellow fiberglass skin include Man’s 6.9-liter straight-six LFL40 diesel with 240 horsepower and 629 pound-feet of torque, fed by a 66-gallon tank, shifting through a 12-speed semi-automatic transmission co-developed by Man and ZF. The 10-lug, 20-inch wheels wearing 46-inch super single Michelin knobbies get the chassis 15.3 inches off the ground, and permit 27.5 inches of fording. Parabolic leaf springs supply the Man axles a bit more elasticity on tough terrain, a two-speed transfer case and locking front and rear diffs ready for especially tough terrain. Exterior body panels are treated with military-grade Line-X ballistic-grade coating to make a hard day’s work look not so hard. The front axle can support 6,300 kilograms, the rear can manage 7,800 kg, GVWR coming in a little less than that at 13,500 kg (nearly 30,000 pounds).
The interior aims to keep up to 35 occupants wholly isolated from whatever’s outside with three-point seat belts and personal lights for every seat, a PVC floor, central air conditioning, DVD entertainment system, and protective mesh over tinted windows. Entry is made easier with a powered retractable step and an automatic door, and even the driver gets an airbagged seat and a rear-view camera. Our hearts go out to whoever’s responsible for throwing luggage on the overhead rack, though.
Torsus says it designed the Praetorian “for the world’s toughest jobs,” getting “personnel and equipment across inhospitable terrain in any conditions,” particularly oil and gas exploration outfits. However, the hauler can be customized to serve almost any industry or personal vocation from forestry, fire truck, and police personnel carrier to safari tourist sighseeing bus and luxury overlander.
Starting price is said to be a healthy €155,000 ($164,685 U.S.) before optional specializations. If only it came with a set of Astartes armor and a bolter.
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